Clothes-pounder.



No. 653,64l. Patented July I0, I900; 0. COLE.

CLOTHES POUNDERU (Application filed June 6, 1898.)

2 Sheets$heai I.

(No Model.)

No. 653',64I. Patented July l0, I900. C. L. COLE.

CLOTHES POUNDER.

(Application iled. June 6, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Shaets8heat 2,

THE NORRIS PETERS so, moraurncq WASHINGTON, 0.1:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. COLE, OF BUSHNELL, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM A. STINE, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

CLOTHES-POUNDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,641, dated July 10, 1900. Application filed 1' une 6, 1898. Serial No. 682,678. (No model.)

To to whom, it TTZ/G/y concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. Conn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bushnell, in the county of MoDonough and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Founders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in atmospheric clothes washers or pounders, by means of which a washer is provided that is well adapted for the purpose designed.

My invention consists, essentially, in the provision of a truncated conical body or shell having located at a suit-able point therein a horizontallyarranged diaphragm provided with suitable perforations, through which water and air are permitted to pass, of a com partment carried in conjunction with the dia-' phragm and resting on the same and having suitable inwardly-projecting plates and also having perforations suitably located in the walls of said compartment, and of a tubular extension extending up therefrom and hav-'- ing suitable inwardly-projecting plates alternating from opposite sides therein, in com-" bination with a centrally-disposed cylinder; having horizontally-arranged inwardly-projecting plates. one above the other and ex tending from opposite sides, and of an airtight compartment and air-vents in the "extreme upper portion of said cone, suitable tubes extending from the upper end of the centrally-disposed cylinder to a point below the same and opening into a compartment formed by the diaphragm and air-tight compartment.

A further object of my invention is to provide in connection with the shellhaving the perforated diaphragm the partitioned compartment with the' tubular extension therefrom, the air-tight compartment and the centrally-disposed cylinder with inwardly-projecting plates and the tubes and air-vents in the upper end thereof, a hollow wedge-shaped extension extending from the diaphragmto a point near the bottom of the shell and having suitable perforations arranged at intervals in the base thereof, in combination with a partition extending inlike manner from the diaphragm and in a plane at right angles to the wedge shaped extension. This arrangement of parts and the manner of carrying the same serves as a brace for the shell as well as prevents a too intimate contact of the clothes with the diaphragm, at the same time allowing the ingress and egress of the water and air into and out of the compartments above.

That my invention may be more fully unthereon, and the wedge-shaped extension and partition depending therefrom.

f In the drawingslike letters of reference indicate the several corresponding parts,as illustrated in the figures.

' A is' a cone made of suitable material, such as tin 'or the like, provided with the upper small tubular projection a, and removably carried therein is a handle a, having a ferrule a on its lower extremity and in the tube,

and a is a fastening device adapted for retaining the ferrule and handle in the tube a. At a point just below the tubular projection a and upon the conicalpart of the washer I have shown a series of rows of perforations a, provided as air-vents therefor.

Describing the lower half of the machine, B is a diaphragm (best shown in Figs. 7 and 1) fitting snugly the inner Wall of the cone at a point shown in Fig. 1, and B is awedgeshaped extension and water-inlet pocket extending from the diaphragm down to a point near the bottom of the cone and is provided with the converging sides I) b and the bottom Fig. 4 is a b and with the openings b arranged at intervals therein, which may be of the shape shown and in a line or in any way most suitable to attain a perfect operation. IVhile I have shown but one of these pockets, I do not wish to limit myself to one, for one or more may be provided, as is desired.

C is a partition carried at right angles to the extension B and extending also from the diaphragm B down to a point near the bottom and in a plane at right angles with the bottom of the extension B, both of which have a bearing relation in conjunction with the face of the cone against the articles to be washed. This manner of combining the several parts referred to divides the lower half of the washer into the compartments K.

D is a compartment carried in conjunction with the diaphragm B, which forms the lower wall thereof and is adapted to be carried on the upper face thereof and parallel with the wedge-shaped extension or water-inlet pocket B. This compartment is provided with inwardly-projecting plates 0?, and the upper and lower walls of the compartment are provided with perforations, as shown at e c.

E is a tubular extension extending up from the compartment D and provided with the oppositely arranged inwardly projecting plates 6 e extending from the inner wall of the tube to a point just beyond the center. I have shown extending from a point just below the air-vents a to a point just above the diaphragm B on the inner wall of the cone a series of tubes F, arranged at intervals around the circumference thereof, the bottom of which said tubes have inwardlyturned elbows f, and suitably carried from a point beginning with the top of these tubes F is shown a cylinder G, similar to the tubular extension E, and which said cylinder extends down to a point just below the top of the tubular extension E and is large enough in diameter to permit the tubular extension E to extend into the cylinder G a short distance, as shown. This cylinder is provided with a series of oppositely-arranged inwardlyprojecting plates g from the inner wall of the cylinder toa point just beyond the center thereof.

H is a diaphragm carried substantially as shown in Fig. 1, and adapted to serve as the top partition of the compartment I, formed by the lower partition or diaphragm B. This diaphragm H also forms the lower partition for an air-tight compartment I, formed by the upper diaphragm .I surrounding the cylinder G at a point near its upper extremity and in the manner shown.

By examining Fig. 1 it will be seen by the arrows provided the direction in which the water and air take their course. When the Washer is being used, suflicient space being provided to allow for an easy passage of the water when the device is forced into the water, the action of the partitions and air upon the water causing the same to be agitated sufficiently to stir up the suds and to thoroughly cleanse the articles subjected to this operation.

The construction of the washer issuch that it is very light, and the manner of securing the handle gives an opportunity of releasing the same at any time, the arrangement or construction of the compartment, tubes, and inwardly-projecting plates being such as to prevent any water escaping through the airvents in the upper portion of the same.

In describing the water-inlet pocket B, the compartment immediately above, with its inwardly-projecting plates, and the tube and cylinder, with the air-chamber and the tubes carried on the inner wall of the cone, I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction, the number of tubes, or the number of inlet and outlet openings, nor to the number of inwardly-projecting plates shown in the compartment, tube, and cylinder for checking the water as it forces its way up into the cone, as numerous changes may be made without departing from the original idea here in illustrated.

The division of the shell by the diaphragm B at the point shown in the figures permits the same to be immersed a suflicient depth before the diaphragm contacts with the clothes, compartments being formed by the provision of the partition 0 and the wedge pocket B, having converging walls,as shown, and suitable openings whereby the water is permitted to pass up through the pocket and through the openings provided in the dia phragm into the chamber D, which has suit able plates, as shown, around which the W3.

ter must pass to get into the upper compartment I, the construction of this passage being such as to agitate the same, and while it is possible for some to pass up through the pipes F the greatest quantity of water will be forced up into the cylinder or tubular passages E and G, which also have plates, but which overlap each other, causing a further agitation of the water, the air being forced out through the vents a and when the shell is withdrawn the water reverses its movements and drops out of the shell.

Having thus fully described my invention, what Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is'- 1. In a clothes-pounder, the combination of an outer shell, a diaphragm engaging the in= nor wall of said shell, a wedge-shaped pocket depending from the diaphragm provided with a series of perforations in the bottom thereof, a partition carried at right angles to said pocket, the diaphragm, pocket and partition providing suitable compartments between them, of a vertically-arranged cylinder cen-' trally disposed in said shell and above the diaphragm, said shell being provided with suitable air-vents in the upper end thereof, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an atmospheric washer or pounder,

Iio

the combination with the truncated conical body, a diaphragm dividing said washer into distinct compartments, of a centrally-disposed cylinder or tubular passage arranged in the upper portion of said washer and surrounded by an air-tight compartment, said cylinder or tubular passage being provided with inwardly-projecting plates from opposite sides, all arranged substantially in the manner and forthe purpose described.

3. In a clothes-pounder, aconical shell, provided with a diaphragm dividing said shell, a compartment covering suitable perforations in said diaphragm and having extending up 

